


A Lovely Misunderstanding

by Epictomato



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29436390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epictomato/pseuds/Epictomato
Summary: Ace asks Thermite out on a date, but there's a misunderstanding. Luckily it works out in the end.
Relationships: Håvard "Ace" Haugland/Jordan "Thermite" Trace
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	A Lovely Misunderstanding

“Jordan, will you go on a date with me?” Ace asked with a bright smile on his face.

“What?”

Was Ace really asking him out? Was this really happening, finally? Thermite had liked Ace for a while now, but had never really acted on his feelings. He liked the way they were, but Thermite couldn’t deny that being more would be nice. Setting down what he’d been working on, Thermite looked up at Ace. He had to make sure he’d heard him right. 

“You,” Thermite paused, “Want to go on a date, with me?”

Ace’s expression fell for a moment before he regained his composure. He seemed thrown off, and not as confident as before.

“Ah, kind of? It’s just that there is a little thing that a café I found is doing for Valentine’s Day. I need someone to go with. You get a cute dessert that they’re offering if you come in as a couple, and I just thought maybe you would be willing. I just thought it might be fun, I didn’t mean it seriously,” he trailed off, Ace looked embarrassed. 

Thermite felt like his heart had dropped. It had been a joke, Ace hadn’t really been asking him out. Thermite tried to not let his disappointment show.

“Sure, I’ll go. Sounds fun, and who wouldn’t want free dessert?” Thermite decided against his better judgment.

The ride to the café was nice. The two of them talked and joked like they normally did. Once they arrived and they’d gotten out of the cab and began walking to the entrance, Ace brought up something.

“You know, if we’re going to try the couple's dessert, wouldn’t it be best to act like we’re together?” 

Thermite glanced at Ace. Was he messing with him again? How cruel.

Deciding to not make it awkward again, Thermite went along with it rather than call Ace out. 

“You really think they’d refuse us if we’re not making out or something?” Thermite laughs.

“You never know,” Ace said in mock seriousness. 

“True, very true.”

Thermite’s gaze drifted to Ace’s hand. All he had to do was reach for it. They were just joking around anyway, he could always just laugh it off. He could feel his heartbeat pick up as he reached out. It seemed like a bad idea even as Thermite gently grasped Ace’s hand. 

Slightly panicking at what he’d just done, and was still doing, Thermite tried to think of an excuse as he focused on the ground below him. He realised he should let go, but when he loosened his grip to pull away, Ace tightened his. 

Thermite looked at Ace, who looked at him with a soft smile, as if what Thermite had done had been the best thing he could have in that moment. At first, feelings of relief washed over Thermite, but confusion soon followed it. 

Ace was a wonderful actor, that’s for sure, he looked so genuine. Thermite wanted it to be that genuine, that’s why instead of insisting on pulling away, he intertwined their fingers. Even if this was just Ace having fun, Thermite’s own selfishness had him playing along. 

They now stood side by side in line at the counter within the café. It was a cozy place, the smell of coffee and the light chatter from other patrons added to the warmth of the place. 

“Huh, they give you a lot more than I expected,” Ace said as he watched someone walk by with a slice of the holiday special. 

The dessert that they were serving was a raspberry lemonade cake. The outside was a light pink to go along with the Valentine’s Day theme. Fresh raspberries and candied lemons that sat neatly in piped frosting decorated the top of the cake, and on the inside were three thin layers of lemon sponge separated by just the right amount of raspberry jam. 

“We could share a slice,” Thermite suggested. 

“That’s a great idea, sweetheart.”

Thermite could feel his face flush at the endearment. 

After buying the cake, coffee for Thermite, and tea for Ace, Thermite was left feeling rather overwhelmed. The person ringing them up had smiled at them when Ace had teased Thermite while they had ordered and said they made a cute couple. Even Ace had a reaction to that. 

Once they’d sat down at a table positioned by a tall window that looked out on the rest of the downtown area, Thermite took to watching out the window as he sipped on his coffee. He was so distracted that he failed to notice what Ace was up to. 

“Jordan! Here, try the cake, it’s wonderful,” Ace’s voice was laced with excitement, for what, Thermite didn’t know, it was just a cake.

He found out when he was met with a forkful of cake when he had turned his attention to Ace. Ace sat there waiting expectantly with his arm outstretched. 

Thermite raised an eyebrow at him before leaning forward to accept the offered dessert. 

“You know they gave us two forks, right?” Thermite picked up the other fork and took another piece of the cake. 

“Aw, but where’s the fun in that?” Ace replied, and Thermite couldn’t help but laugh at the pout he said it with.

The rest of the date, Thermite decided that’s what he’d call it, even if it was just him considering it to be that, went well. Thermite only wished it had been real. 

Ace ended up walking back with Thermite to Thermite’s dorm once they’d gotten back to base. The two of them stood alone in the hallway. 

“Well, I’ll see you later, Jordan. Thank you for joining me,” Ace said. 

“What, no kiss goodbye?” Thermite couldn’t help himself but ask. He’d meant it in jest, just like they’d been doing. Still, there was that small part of him that hoped.

Ace didn’t laugh. He only averted his eyes from Thermite’s. He looked nervous again, just like he had when Thermite had asked him if he was being serious, but this time, Ace told the truth. 

“Jordan, I,” Ace ran his hand through his hair, he was stalling, “I didn’t mean what I had said before. I was asking you on a date, seriously.”

“Wait, what?” Thermite couldn’t believe what he’d heard. He’d already been disappointed, and he didn’t want that to happen again. There was no way. 

“I mean it, I like you, like a lot,” Thermite watched as Ace got more and more flustered, “I thought that when you’d questioned me about asking you out, that it meant that you didn’t want it. That you didn’t want me, so I lied. I’m sorry.” 

“Håvard, I-”

“It’s okay, please don’t feel like you have to reply. I just wanted to tell you,” Ace turned to walk away.

Ace was walking away, away from Thermite. He’d go away not knowing that Thermite felt the same way, that he liked him too. Him and his jokes, his smile, how he really was a caring person under all the fronts he put up. That would all change if Thermite didn’t do something instead of just standing there. 

All he had to do was reach for him. 

“Håvard, wait!” Thermite grasped Ace’s hand, “I like you too, seriously,” Thermite smiled at Ace when he turned back towards Thermite. 

Ace seemed to light up. 

“I honestly hadn’t been sure if you were joking the first time, I had been worried it was too good to be true,” Thermite explained.

“We’re pretty dumb, huh?” 

“Maybe just a little.”

A dinging sound interrupted their moment, and Ace huffed as he looked at his phone before looking surprised at what he read. 

“Kali wants to see me, and it looks like I’m running late,” Ace explained.

“It’s okay, we can pick this up later.”

“Yeah,” Ace said before cradling Thermite’s face in his hands. 

Ace leaned down a little and softly kissed the left corner of Thermite’s mouth. Before Thermite knew it, the kiss was over, and Ace was stepping back. 

“I’ll see you later, Jordan!” Ace said with a wave as he hurried to meet his boss.

Thermite stood there for a moment, and he reached up to touch where Ace’s lips had been. 

He couldn’t wait for later.

**Author's Note:**

> Was this whole fic an excuse to write about that cake? No... what gave you that idea...
> 
> Thank you so much for taking your time to read my fic, it means a lot to me! Happy Valentine's Day! 🖤


End file.
